Write about somebody who knows they’re probably going to fail at something, but does it anyway.

Posted in Narrative on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 32 stories

“Failing is good enough.” by Sum E

Submitted to Contest #136

I find myself once again, staring at the blank page, like a programmer coding on a piano, not knowing how to continue. It all started back when... yes yes, it's going to be one of those pieces... I was in school. I was always a turbulent little shithead, finding any reason to snap back needlessly at authority and rules. Rock music was my go-to and at the time, my family was half broken and it reflected in my character. I used to pick up fights with kids and bunk class to play football. I was never a dumb kid though. You know. T...

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“The Old College Try” by Brian Casey

Submitted to Contest #136

There was a time when I had hope, I had a light that I could see at the end. I had hope that through hard work and determination that I could make it to a better place in life. Now, I know better. We are where we will always be in society and it is rare that any will improve their station in life these days. This however is about when I still had hope. I hoped to improve my station in life by getting an education and making life easier and better for myself and my family, even though deep down I knew it would fail. I accepted the input of ...

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“Headhunter” by H. Lee Russell

Submitted to Contest #136

“I’m going to lose,” said Mazon. He shuddered as a breeze crept through the alley. The cold sweat on his back made the turtleneck sticky and the leather vest over it even more uncomfortable. “Probably,” said Cloose. He had his back to the wall opposite Mazon. The sulfur from the match he lit stunk as he put it to the pipe balanced between his teeth. He took a puff and stomped the match into the dirt. “But you’re not accounting for luck. I’ve seen guys twice your size lose.” “But have you ever seen a guy like me win?” asked Mazon....

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“Missed you” by Alec Tribout

Submitted to Contest #136

The alarm clock screams at the weary man to remind him to motivate. His eyes are twitching and he wrestles with his dreams and responsibilities at the end of his slumber. He sleeps well for a man so tormented because he does the right thing. Day after day, he smiles and hides his loses deep within his mind and chest along with all his broken pieces. Slowly he wakes to the fan blowing on him and his dog. The most loyal thing in his life. He throws the covers over his dog, who isn't ready to face the world yet either, but they will. Slinging...

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“After Time” by Bryan Hancock

Submitted to Contest #136

“Folks, you’ve heard the phrase ‘time is an illusion’ a million times before, but what if I told you you could go back and shut up every last one of those ignorant morons who opened their slack jaw to say that drivel? What if you could control time yourself!? Become the illusionist!? Laugh in the face of the primordial and still have enough time to be back home for dinner!?” ————————— “No-good ingrates.” The late great Dr. Abrams muttered at the end of a long, exasperated sigh. The “great” stems from how the doctor distinguished ...

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“Hidden papers” by Wayne Steele

Submitted to Contest #136

“This is the dumbest thing you could ever come up with,” I said in utter disbelief. I crossed my arms in deficiency. The fire crackled as if it agreed with me. Everyone was starring, wondering what would happen next. The night-air send a shiver down my spine. “Common, Aaron, it's a dare,” Kevin said in an annoyed voice. The light of the campfire gave Kevin’s face an eerie glow. “You have to do it. The half-circle around us started a quiet chant of my name but grew in size until it was a massive roar of people yelling my name, and soon enoug...

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“Open Call” by Hannah K.

Submitted to Contest #136

Standing in front of 1560 Broadway, I can feel my nonexistent breakfast churning in my stomach. Bundled up from the cold, my throat protected by a thick wool scarf I yanked on as an afterthought, I’m struck once again with the feeling that I’m not cut out for this. As the Actor’s Equity building looms before me in the dim light of a 6:00 AM call time, other young hopefuls bustle towards the doors, headshots out and ready, bundled even more thoroughly than I am with steaming travel mugs of Throat Coat clutched in their gloved hands. As they q...

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“The Take Off” by Omali Jayah

Submitted to Contest #136

“Go ahead, Babu! Hurry up – hurry up!!” Leela pinched babu’s elbow with her super excited big eyes glued to the paper on his hand. “Read, will you? What more?” “mmmm” Babu squinted his eyes. “Let me see” They were sitting under the shade of the big mango tree in the garden. Sun was slowly setting beyond the tall coconut trees and the golden rays of dusk shone on their faces. Babu had a page of an English newspaper on his hand. Leela was anxiously sitting beside him, bending over his arm, waiting for him to unveil the magic written in black ...

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“The Next Generation” by Lucky Ooog

Submitted to Contest #136

I breathe in the cold night air and close my eyes. For a second I consider just walking away. Then I brace myself, step out of the shadows and onto the field. No sense in delaying the inevitable. The stands are empty, there is not a soul in sight. "We don't have to do this, you know," I yell out, loud enough for my voice to carry into the far corners of the stadium. "You could just walk away." A few moments go by without anything happening. I already hope that she won't show when I hear her footsteps behind me. I slowly turn around, showin...

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“Journeyman” by Erin Cuellar

Submitted to Contest #136

I am going to be honest; I was a dork in high school. I did all the clubs, all the sports, and had a 3.9 G.P.A. I had a full scholarship to a handful of different colleges and chose to stay at a local school that several of my friends were going to. I quickly learned that my priorities were anything but school, as I was a pre-med major and that required actual studying. I failed out halfway through my first semester. I tried one more time after a pep talk from some friends and pivoted to education. Again, life got in the way with having to p...

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“Tommy Nguyen Attends a Chess Tournament” by Martin Sevcik

Submitted to Contest #136

“Name?” “Tommy” “I need a full name.” “Uh… Nguyen.” The clerk lazily penciled his name on her clipboard. She sat below a handmade sign reading “Centennial High Chess Tournament Sign-in.” She had only been there for half an hour, yet she already felt the overwhelming urge to take a smoke break. “Do you have a rating?” “No.” “Did you pre-register?” “I was only told about this today.” “I’ll take that as a no.” She was efficiently filling out the sheet in front of her. “Anyone who didn’t pre-register gets admitted on a first-co...

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“Petite Marie” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #136

If I could pick one magical power; forget flight or invisibility, I would go for dance… Ballet has this certain, je ne sais quoi. The long hours of isolating and rigorous training, the structure of the ballet world, and last but not least: the identity. I dropped out of the ballet when I was fifteen. Not because I sucked, though I think if that were the case it would have made it easier for me. But that is a story for another time. These days, I absorb ballet through pop culture and the occasional live performance. Now close your...

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“To Phoenix is No Myth” by Amanda J Rounds

Submitted to Contest #136

Frantically I just kept pressing the “LIKE” button as though the more I hit it, the more it would come back to me. Isn’t that what they say? What you give, you get. Well, I was in need of being liked. Right now I was greasy and grimy and unshowered behind the computer screen, a pathetic unwashed dollop of depression. I could smell myself: morning breath mingling with the stale musk of 9 hours of sweating under sheets. I loathed myself. My tangled, dark hair was completely in my face, but somehow the agitation was needed. I felt brushing it a...

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“Limited Brotherhood.” by Kelvin Joseph

Submitted to Contest #136

Contains Abusive Language. “What do you take me for…” “What …” “Don’t bullshit me Ryan. What do you take me for?” “Bro … what’s … what’s this about?” “Was she worth it?” “Oh … um … you know how it goes man.” “No I don’t! In fact, I have no idea! What’s wrong with you!?” “… You know… sometimes things just happen… it’s never my fault.” “Was she worth it? Was that smile worth it? I mean how many times would you be doing the same thing expecting different results? See cute eyes, and be like oh bro, look at this one, I think she’s falling in lo...

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“Reanimating Irwin” by Bill Richter

Submitted to Contest #136

Harriet had broken up with me three months before and I still felt devastated. We’d only been going out for three or three and a half months, depending on how one looked at what our first date was. That’s been in dispute, but I’ve always gone with three and half and I thought I was in love and that we could have had a real future together and at least for a while, I thought she felt the same way. In hindsight, I can see how my disappearing and not telling her where I was for a day or two a few times started to wear on her, but the time we sp...

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Write about somebody who knows they’re probably going to fail at something, but does it anyway.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 32 stories

“Failing is good enough.” by Sum E

“The Old College Try” by Brian Casey

“Headhunter” by H. Lee Russell

“Missed you” by Alec Tribout

“After Time” by Bryan Hancock

“Hidden papers” by Wayne Steele

“Open Call” by Hannah K.

“The Take Off” by Omali Jayah

“The Next Generation” by Lucky Ooog

“Journeyman” by Erin Cuellar

“Tommy Nguyen Attends a Chess Tournament” by Martin Sevcik

“Petite Marie” by F.O. Morier

“To Phoenix is No Myth” by Amanda J Rounds

“Limited Brotherhood.” by Kelvin Joseph

“Reanimating Irwin” by Bill Richter

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with someone saying “You’ll never know unless you try.”

Write about a character giving something one last shot.

Set your story on a baseball field.

Write a story where hard work doesn’t pay off.

Contest #136

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

207

Contest entries

100

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: